Touch the Soil News #380 Unlike private-sector mergers, the pending ChemChina acquisition of Syngenta will not only become a powerful market force, it will be politically charged as the Chinese Government will be the sole owner. Unlike other mergers, where the stockholders of the company being sold often get most of their payment in the form of stock in the new company – this deal is all cash. Being able to write a check for $43 billion at one time – to payoff Syngenta stockholders – will further establish the Chinese Government as being one of the singularly most powerful capitalistic forces in the world. ChemChina is betting…

Touch the Soil News #379 Historically we have followed the Monsanto company whose operations have ignited domestic and global protest. Operating at a lower public profile are two other companies (Syngenta and ChemChina) whose business lines are similar to Monsanto’s – genetic modification of plants, agrochemicals and patenting seeds for private corporate ownership. In an unsuccessful attempt last year (2015), Monsanto tried to acquire Syngenta – to create the world’s largest biotech and agrochemical company. Syngenta management spurred the deal, essentially saying Monsanto was not a suitable partner. Earlier this year, ChemChina (China National Chemical Corporation) – a state-owned enterprise by the Chinese government – made a bid to acquire…